The need for weight on a fishing line is common. Weight aids in line casting and permits bait or lure placement at a specific position relative to the bottom surface of a body of water. Aquatic vegetation takes many forms including weeds—and it is hard to find an experienced fisherman who has not encountered problematic weeds. Weeds result in hook snaring, loss of bait, broken line, and improper bait/line placement. Weights frequently compound the problem of collecting weeds wherein a weighted line passes through a mat of weeds and the weight itself serves as a weed collection point. What is needed is a weight that minimizes weed collection. Often, a thick mat of surface cover will exist over prime fishing waters, and presenting the lure or bait through a thick mat of reeds of weeds is a challenge.
One way to penetrate dense surface cover is to cast a line bearing a conventional weight relatively high into the air to provide the necessary acceleration/force to penetrate the dense surface weed cover. This is problematic because the technique commonly causes excessive surface water disturbance as the weight aggressively enters the water. This has the undesirable consequence spooking fish and disrupting fishing conditions.